Starting device for burners



J. ALSBERG. STARTING DEVJCE FOR BURNEBS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2a,1918.

Apr. 2% MZQL lNVENTOR BY @waab Q 4; ATTORNEY JULIUS ALSBERG, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

STARTING DEVICE FOR BURNERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

Application filed January 28, 1918. Serial No. 214,109.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JULIUS ALSBERG, a citizenof the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, in the State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in StartingDevices for Burners, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in starting devices for burnersutilizing hydrocarbon fuel, and has forits object to provide a startingdevice which is simple in its construction and operation.

Further, the invention has for its object to provide a device of thischaracter which may be started without it being necessary to initiallyheat the same by extraneous means.

Further, the invention has for its object to provide a device of thischaracter which may be started quickly and which will heat rapidly thefuel within the vaporizer of the burner. Further, the invention has forits object to provide a device of this character which will serve toheat the water within the boiler during the time that it is vaporizingthe fuel in the vaporizer of the burner, whereby the desired steampressure within the boiler will be attained within a short time afterthe burner is started.

Further, the invention has for its object to provide a device of thischaracter adapted to produce a blue flame at all times.

Further, the invention has for its object to provide a device of thischaracter comprising an atomizer nozzle and means to supply air and fuelthereto :in the proper proportions to insure that at .all times thecombustible mixture will burn with a blue flame.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed outhereinafter;

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends my inventionconsists in the novel details of construction, and in the combination,connection and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described andthen pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown in a schematic view a burnerand its cooperating parts having operatively associated therewith oneform of starting device constructed according to and embodying theinvention.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a boiler of any suitableconstruction, beneath which are positioned a main burner 11 and a pilotburner 12, each of which may be of any approved type. Positioned abovethe main burner 11 and the pilot burner 12 is a vaporizing tube 13,having one of its ends connected to the nozzle of the main burnerll andhaving its other end connected by a pipe 14 with an auxiliary fuel tank15 containing fuel under pressure. A vaporizing tube 16, located abovethe pilot burner 12, has one of its ends connected to the nozzle of thepilot burner 12 and its other end connected by a pipe 17 with the fueltank 15. A main fuel tank 18, containing fuel. under atmosphericpressure, is connected to the auxiliary fuel tank 15 by a pipe 19 inwhich a pump 20, of any approved type, is interposed, by means of whichfuel may be pumped from the main tank 18 to the auxiliary tank 15. Thepump 20 -may be driven directly by the engine, or from the rear axle ofthe automobile, by suitable gearing. The parts thus far described areold and we1l-known in the art.

The starting device comprises an atomizer nozzle 23 having a fuel duct24 and an air duct 25, which,in the embodiment of 'the invention shown,is of annular form and surrounds the fuel duct '24. A needle valve 26 isprovided for opening or closing the outlet opening of the fuel duct 24in order to control and regulate the amount of fuel flowingtherethrough. The fuel duct 24 of the atomizer nozzle 23 is connected tothe main fuel tank 18 by a pipe 27 through which fuel from the main tank18 is fed by gravity to the atomizer nozzle 23.

A constant level fuel chamber 28 is preferably interposed between theends of the pipe 27 in order to insure a more constant flow of fuel tothe fuel duct 24 of the atomizer nozzle 28. The fuel chamber 28 containsa float-actuated valve 29 which controls the flow of fuel from the maintank 18 to the chamber 28 in a manner similar to that in which thefloat-operated valve of a carbureter controls the flow of fuel thereto.

The air duct 25 of the atomizer nozzle 23 is connected by a pipe 30 witha tank 31, containing compressed air, and, in turn, connected by a pipe32 with an air compressor 33, adapted to be driven from the engine orfrom the rear axle ofthe automobile in any suitable manner.

Valves 34 and 35 are positioned within the pipes 27 and 30,respectively, in order to control the flow of fuel and air to theatomizer-nozzle 23.

As the air under pressure issues from the I air duct of theatomizer-nozzle 23 it creates a sucln'ng or aspirating action as aresult of. which fuel is drawn through the fuel duct 24. As the fuel inthe tank 18 is not under pressure other than the pressure of theatmosphere, which is constant, the amount of fuel drawn through the fuelduct 24 is always proportional to the amount of air discharged from theair duct 25, and, consequently, if the needlevalve 26 is once adjustedto insure the proper flow of fuel to producea blue flame, no furtheradjustment constant, a reducing valve 36, of any approved type, isinterposed in the pipe 30 between the compressed air tank 31and theatomizer-nozzle 23. The valve 36 may be readily adjusted to cause theair to be delivered into the air duct 25 at any desired pressure, whichpressure will remain constant and uniform for such adjustment of thevalve 36.

The atomizer-nozzle 23 communicates with the inlet end of an airinduction tube 31located between the main burner 11 and the boiler 10and so positioned that the flame issuing from the outlet end thereofwill serve to heat the vaporizing tubes 13 and .16 and also the-waterwithin the boiler 10.

The atomized mixture of fuel and air issuing from the air induction tube37 is ignited by means of a spark plug 38 electrically connected to anysuitable source of supply of electricity. As shown, the spark plug 38 isconnected by conductors 39 and 40 to the secondary winding of aninduction coil 40' the primary winding of which is connected to astorage battery 41. The storage battery 41 may becharged from a dynamo42, driven by the engine or the rear axle of the automobile, connectedto the storage battery 41 by conductors 43 and 44. The electric circuitfor the spark plug 38 is controlled by a suitable switch 45, the openingand closing of which may be automatically controlled by the movement ofthe valves 34 and 35, which are connected to move simultaneously.

In operation, to get up steam in order to operate the automobile, thevalves 34 and 35 are opened thereby permitting fuel and air to flow fromthe tanks 18 and 31, re-

spectively, to the atomizer-nozzle 23, it being understood that theneedle valve 26 has been adjusted to insure the producing of a blueflame, as above described. The opening movement of the combined valve34, 35 will actuate the switch 45 to close the circuit of the spark plug38, as a result of which the atomized mixture of fuel and air issuingfrom the air induction tube 37 will be instantly ignited. At this pointattention is called to the fact that pre-heating of the fuel, suppliedto the atomizer-nozzle 23 of the starting device, by means of anacetylene torch or other extraneous means, is unnecessary, whereby asaving of time and labor is effected. The flame, caused by thecombustion of the atomized mixture of air and fuel, gives a very intenseheat, as a result of which the fuel in the vaporizing tubes 13 and 16 isvaporized very quickly thus permitting the main burner 11, or the pilotburner 12 to be employed within a very short time after the startingdevice has been put in operation. Owing. to the intense heat of theflame from the atomizer-nozzle 23, it will during the time that the fuelwithin the vaporizing tubes 13 and 16 is being vaporized thereby, heatthe water within the boiler 10 to an extent such that the desired steampressure within the boiler will be attained very quickly after the mainburner 11 is started. By reason of this feature a great saving of timein getting up steam is effected in comparison with the present systemsin which the heating of the water within the boiler to produce steam iseffected entirely by means of the main burnen As soon as one or theother of the burners 11 or 12 has been started, 13S hereinbeforedescribed, the valves 34 and 35 are closed, thus shutting off the flowof fuel and air to the atomizer-nozzle 23, whereupon the switch 45 isreturned to its normally open position to break the circuit of the sparkplug 38.

Having thus described my said invention what I claim anddesire to secureby Letters Patent is v In an apparatus of the character described, thecombination with a boiler of a bu ner, a vaporizer positionedintermediate said boiler and said burner and communicating with thelatter, means for supplying fuel under pressure to said vaporizer, anatomizer operatively associated with said vaporizer comprising an airduct and a fuel duct, means for supplying air under pressure to said airduct, and means for supplying fuel under atmospheric pressure to saidfuel duct, substantially as specified.

Signed at the city of Chicago, Cook county, in the State of Illinois,this 27th day of December, one thousand nine hundred and seventeen.

JULIUS ALSBERG. Witnesses:

EDWARD KEAND, FLORENCE WEssELL.

